Buy a car while staying in florida???

Hi,

i wanna buy a car when i'm in the states. but I'm from germany, know nothing about american insurance, driving licenece, etc..

who can help?PP

Thanks.

 

how long are you going for?
i'm only going for 6 months so i'm not going to worry about getting a car.
i would like to get a drivers license though. more for the sake of ID than driving though. don't want to have to take my passport everywhere.

 

if you can't get the car is a great advatage actually, cause eventhoough the LYNX system is good to get within Orlando it takes too long and can't go anywhere outside Orlando and for the driver's license it's so easy, but to get there you need a car or take the bus is really convienient but for id puropses just get an id at the same place cause the driver's license is like 50 bucks cause you need to do some tests

 

ok, so what is LYNX?

 

LYNX is the name of the public busses in the Orlando area. There are other threads which cover public transportation within Orlando amongst them, but basically, Disney run free busses for ICP's from housing to parts of WDW, Wal Mart, Publix supermarket, Florida Mall, Premium Outlets and some other places. You can also use the I-Ride trolley (public bus) up towards Universal, International Drive and Sea World from the Premium Outlets near the housing complexes. Though the public transport works, as stated above it can make journeys longer than you may want. There are many taxis avaliable at reasonable rates if you wish - especially if split amongst a group and you could rent cars, but obviously having your own car gives you the most freedom and convenience.

In response to the original post however, I don't know too much about how you would buy and maintain a car while in the USA.

On the licence front, I think there are rules about how long you can use your foreign licence before needing a US one. Supposedly the US driving test is pretty simple though, certainly compared to the British test; I think you drive round the test centre circuit, rather than real roads. They may require you to cut up your original foreign licence though - but this can be hit and miss, there are stories of some instructors just looking at it and handing it back, or others 'forgetting' to bring it with them, or just not telling them they have one. Even if this did happen, its likely you'd be able to ask for a replacement licence when back home, just as you would if you'd lost it by mistake - but obviously this is a risk and there are costs involved in getting a replacement.

 

To be honest..I would completly advise getting a car..

I did the year program and bought a car with just under 6 months to go..

Was the best thing I ever did..

I actually sold it at the end and only lost $100 on it..Only lost the $100 because it needed a new tyre..

It cost me $98 a month for insurance..

You can easily pick up cars for $800-$1500..And even more if you want 2 spend that much..Just be careful..Do your research before so that they don't try and rip you off..

I used to work at animal kingdom and having a car would on average get me an hour extra in bed! Some days less, some days more..It helped me do alot more tho, I could do alot of things other people couldn't, coz I had a car..

 

hey, where abouts did you buy your car up from?

 

Sorry, mean't to say..

I got it from Orange Blosson Trail..Its known to people in Orlando though as OBT..

Its basically just car garages all along the road..Which means you can haggle with them

The florida mall is actually just off the OBT..The car garages are about a 10 to 15 minute walk from florida mall..

When I bought my car I just got the iride from the premium outlets there and then obviously came back in my car..

 

thats awsome man. Its something i want to do when i get there. ive driven there once before on a uk licence so doing the test and everything should b interesting. I am looking forward tho to owning my own car and having my own freedom.

 

hey...erm i have a british provisional... and i was wonderng if anyone knew- if i dnt pass my prctical b4 i leave for florida in january, can i do it in florida with the british provisional?

x

 

I think if you were to do any test in the USA it would be from scratch, for a US licence, though their test is said to be easier than ours, and I think includes a written test too. In terms of a UK licence, I don't think the USA is on the list of countries where you can automatically exchange a US licence for a UK one, so you'd have to do the practical test when you return to the UK. You may be able to use it in the UK for up to 12 months though.

There may be complications of using the US in the UK given you're (presumably) not a US citizen and thus could be said to be beating the system by taking a less stringent test.

 

ok hunni thank you...guess i'd better pass before i leave then eh?

lol

x

 

Good luck, hope you pass.

 

fanx hunni...u and me both!!!!

lol

xxx

 

Where did you get the quote on that from? or what insurance company? and what kind of vehicle? And what's your status since you got it pretty cheap, only $98 pr.month

-Marius

 

Im pretty sure you'd just do it from stratch, as if you don't have a license at all..When you come back to the UK, I think you'd have to do it again though..As I don't think the UK would be too confident about letting someone drive over here on a Florida driving license! I heard its the easiest place in the US to pass!

I actually didn't get the quote at all, when I went to buy my car, the garage I bought it from sorted it out for me..I had to make a down payment though, when I first bought the car, for the insurance, which was around $200..Meaning that if you average it out, I guess it cost me about $130 a month..I thought I was getting ripped off a bit though, but didn't really have the time to mess around looking at different quotes..Im sure if you shopped around on the internet though, you could get a quote alot cheaper than I did..

I wasn't too bothered though about paying the down payment, because I bartered them down for the car..Think they wanted $1200 for it, and we settled at $800 in the end..Was a really good car though, considering it was a 1997 Chevy Cavillier..I wasn't ever sure what year it was too be honest though, coz the details from the car garage said it was a 1998, but some other details I had said it was a 1997..So I just took it as being that..

If I went again though, I would definitly get a car..Don't spend too much though, coz it could be hard selling it in the end..Reacon if I went again, I'd do the same, and just pick up one for around the $800 mark..As I felt it was quite easy to sell it in the end..

Hope that helps..

 

Thanks a lot I have a norwegian driving license, do you know how it works for me to get a US license? what I have to do and such? I'm considering getting a motorcycle endorsement and buying a motorcycle WHEN I get the US license, but if not, I'm definitely getting a car though

 

I think you more than likely can use it in the US..Don't see why not..If were allowed to use our UK one..Always best to ask though, as if you get pulled over...

 

Forgot to say, if anyone is interested in looking for a car before they get to Florida..Here is the website for the place I bought my car from...

http://autolanddealers.com/

I found them to be really good..They let you negotiate a fair price with them, if you feel the price is more than you want to pay..They even sorted out all my reg plates and everything for me..Which you've gotta remember is an extra $200 on top of the price that you pay..

 

OKEY guys listen up

is there a way we can KEEP our own home country license, AND have a US license that also allows you to drive OUTSIDE of Florida..?